Straight rows of corn used to be a sure sign of a farmer's meticulous steering--it was the ultimate badge honor. Straight rows are still a very strong source of pride on the farm but with the use of precision farming technology, farmers are now ensuring that rows planted at 9 p.m. will be just as straight as those planted at 9 a.m.
     Wouldn't a farmer's job be easy if each and every field was perfectly flat, and perfectly square with no water ways or ditches running through? Wouldn't the perfect field have the same soil conditions throughout?
     No one is blessed with perfection, therefore, farmers are seeking out ways to make it easier and faster to farm their imperfect fields. Precision farming exists because no field is perfect. It uses global positioning sensors (GPS), satellites or aerial images, and information management tools (GIS) to assess and understand variations in any farmer's fields.
     Young Ag Leader Todd Weitekamp, a Precision Farm Specialist for Birkey's Farm Store believes that any farmer receiving this information can then use it to help manage their operation better than ever. "A guy who is planting without GPS is paying a lot of attention to keeping the rows straight and may not see that a seed tube is plugged or that a row has suddenly shut off. A guy using GPS becomes less of an operator and more of a manager when he allows the guidance system to steer and he can pay attention to yield maps, and other data coming up on the monitor."
     New technology is often forced on the public to improve safety and lifestyle (think seat belts and airbags). Even in agriculture, using seed technology like GMO seed is not even questioned anymore due to the high yields and resistance to pests it provides. "It is very hard to find conventional or Non-GMO corn with cutting edge genetics," Weitekamp says.
     But currently, the choice to embrace any form of precision farming is still the farmer's. Weitekamp's clients who are choosing to implement precision farming in their operations generally fit into three different categories.
     The first includes the large scale farmers with thousands of acres who simply feel the need to have guidance to help them cover all their ground efficiently.
     Next are the "trend setters," Weitekamp says. "These guys like the gadgets and jump on board with new technology. They are comfortable with it and like to be the first ones to try something out."
     The third group is the "adopters" group. Weitekamp describes this group as those who "have seen how it works for others, are able to justify the need for it and typically start by purchasing basic systems."
     No matter what group a farmer fits into, the feedback is always the same. CJ Decker, who farms in Philo, says "We'll never go back" to farming without the use of guidance. They use RTK precision farming for everything from autosteer to spreading fertilizer. "It wasn't a hard sell for us," explains Mark Douglas, who farms southeast of Urbana. They started off with a removable steering wheel system and worked their way up to using it in most of their equipment.
     Everyone is in agreement that the benefits far outweigh the initial headaches that come with getting used to any new complex piece of electronics. "My dad believed and trusted me," says Douglas as he describes sharing the decision to make the initial investment into precision farming. "It was trying for both of us in the beginning. But we'd both do it again in a heartbeat."
     Weitekamp describes an order of evolution that his clients typically take when it comes to purchasing precision farming equipment for their operation. Farmers, for many reasons, will start with a more basic piece of guidance equipment such as an EZ-Steer. This more basic, cost effective and versatile piece of guidance equipment allows the farmer to program the ground working tractor (or any other piece of machinery if you have a mobile system) to steer itself in a straight line.
     The benefits to autosteer is the lack of overlapping, leading to less fuel used, less time wasted, less compaction, and less effort on the part of the operator.
     When clients see how well autosteer works, they will typically add guidance to their planting equipment. This improves the experience of planting by allowing the farmer to plant during the day or night.
     Weitekamp notes that any problems, large or small, that occur during the planting process are obvious to the farmer much quicker than it would be without guidance. He can then make adjustments as necessary without taking attention away from driving.
     From autosteer and guidance on the planting equipment, farmers will adopt guidance in harvest practices, fertilizing, and more. Decker uses guidance technology to make his multitasking job of spraying and field cultivating corn a little less complicated.
     When asked what aspect of using guidance makes the biggest difference to the farmer (curbing costs for the operation, feeling less fatigue at the end of a long day in the tractor, being more efficient with time, etc.) Decker understandably couldn't pick just one. He said, "They all overlap. But you do get more done...the lack of fatigue does make a huge difference. Before we started using guidance, any farmer who said it really cut back on their level of fatigue, I thought was full of it. But I totally agree now."
Douglas feels the same way. "Guidance makes a big difference with driver fatigue. We also lay off lands when cutting beans and the autosteer helps us be a lot more efficient."

     Weitekamp has even heard of more farmers who are profiting outside of their own operations from their use of guidance. "Guidance allows guys to finish with their own crop faster and the fact that they use guidance is attractive to others who are wanting to hire custom work done."

     As with any form of electronics, there are problems that can occur with the equipment and these problems usually pop up at the least convenient time. Weitekamp's busiest time of year is preparing for the planting season.  "Planting is a stressful time of year for myself and the farmer," Weitekamp explains. That is why he likes to get into the tractor before the farmer is ready to get into the field to do necessary calibrations. That way if a problem comes up when the first round of the season is taken, it is probably only a minor one that will just need a little "fine tuning".
     "Guidance is not foolproof," comments Decker. His operation uses RTK (Real Time Kinematic), which relies on satellite signals and base stations to provide the most accurate precision farming experience. Decker described a time when the base station lost power completely and therefore ended their planting day in that particular field. They opted to travel to another field where they could pick up a signal from another base station.
     Weitekamp states what most people understand about any form of technology: "You learn to depend on it and it's great if it's working, but is incredibly frustrating when it isn't."
     Another drawback to precision farming is the cost of equipment. The most basic equipment starts around $3,000 while the very complex and sophisticated can cost in excess of $30, 000.
     Cell phone technology is the next big thing when it comes to precision farming technology and this looks good in terms of efficiency for both the farmer and for Weitekamp. If a problem arises with the guidance equipment, cell phone technology would allow a precision farming specialist the ability to troubleshoot a farmer's guidance system hundreds of miles away without requiring the farmer to wait until he arrives to get assistance. Along with troubleshooting, cell phone technology provides the farmer with a very reliable corrections source even with rugged terrain. "It is a huge improvement in RTK technology," Weitekamp states. As a mobile employee for Birkey's, Weitekamp, who normally spends little time in the offices at the Gibson City and Urbana locations because 90% of his job is done in the company vehicle or in a farmer's tractor, might see the inside of his office more often.
     Straight rows of corn were possible long before precision farming technology and can still be achieved with or without it. But if the farmer can justify adding guidance to the operation, there's simply no way to match the benefits.